Shamisen Week 27 Lesson

Been practicing Wakamizu all the past week thinking we would move on like we have done so many times before. Not this time. I guess because this piece is one that I will have to master, the master wants me to master it now before moving on. It may be a long time!

The Octave notes are the problem. Replicating them consistently is a challenge. However, Position 7 on the san no ito is also problematic because of the constant stretching of this thin string. As soon as I can consistently hit Position 7, the string stretches a bit and I have to re-tune. That takes time and is a pain, but nothing can be done. It is part of the nature of the instrument.

So, I practice and practice Wakamizu. Sometimes it's okay; most times not so much. If I can ever nail down Octave 1, I might have a chance at Octaves 2, 3, 4, and 7. I get IT once in a while, but if I miss Octave 1, of course, everything else that follow is also off.

On the good side, I am not getting so frustrated as I have in the past. Why? It has finally dawned on my puny brain that this is not a sprint but a marathon. I am not going to "get it" tomorrow, the next week, or even next month. If I keep practicing, I hope to get better--over the long haul. So, it's not a 100 meter dash, but a long-distance event when considering learning the sangen. It has taken me a while to realize this. And once realized, the frustration and pressure has lessened measurably.

My ivory itomaki have arrived and I should be using them by next week. Some other sangen players have said that the slippage of ivory itomaki is much worse than kokutan itomaki, so I should not get too excited. It's more for looks than practicality. We shall test that theory shortly. In addition, after looking diligently for over six months, I have found a bekko jiuta bachi to purchase. That should be arriving from Japan in the next few weeks.